The present invention is related to devices for handling logs and the like.
Devices for the manual manipulation of logs and similar material, such as ice, have been in use for generations. Some can only be used for pushing a log or snagging a limb. Others employ some type of pivotal action to grasp the object to be carried or moved. A recent example of the pivotable structure is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,238 to Stright. This device employs a hand lever to open and close pivotably mounted jaws that are used to grasp the object. This pivotal movement is employed in many of the grasping-type devices known in the art, although some tools for grasping use other variations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,871 to Stover, for instance, illustrates a sliding type of operation. Like the pivotable devices, however, the Stover apparatus requires the user to apply a grasping force while the load is being carried, and it is thought that the type of operation required for both clamping and carrying is somewhat awkward.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to permit handling of logs and such materials without the awkward operation that has sometimes been required previously. It is another object to provide this operation by means of a device that is simple in design and easy to maintain. It is a further object to allow the user of the invention to concentrate his effort on carrying the log rather than in grasping it.